Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.
.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

March 13 - 19, 2009 The Independent Weekly 2 www.independentweekly.com.au news Mixed result for SA jobs S outh Australian unemployment increased in February, and new figures show the jobless rate in this state is once again higher than the national average. More than 47,800 South Australians are out of work today. Bureau of Statistics figures show the They tell We tell ???????????? you what. you why. $1.50 per week delivered to your home or office every Friday* To subscribe visit www.independentweekly.com.au or call us on 8224 1600. *only where normal home delivery exists seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for SA in February 2009 was 5.8 per cent, 0.2 per cent higher than the previous month’s adjusted figures. The national unemployment rate increased to 5.2 per cent from January’s rate of 4.8 per cent. Business SA CEO Peter Vaughan said that while unemploy- ment figures increased as expected, the local economy remained strong. “The local econ- omy is remaining resilient, and while business confidence has significantly decreased, things could be a lot worse,” he said. “The drop in full- time employment and increase in part-time employment indicates that many workers are having their hours reduced.” Employment Minister Michael O’Brien said that in the present context, it was pleasing to see the participation rate increase in SA. But the participation rate is also below the national average. The Opposition says the state is on the brink of the worst job figures under Premier Rann in seven years. Shadow Employment Minister David Pisoni said 1600 full-time SA jobs were last month. “South Australia’s jobless numbers are the worst since October 2002, just months after Premier Rann took office,” Mr Pisoni said. “Premier Rann has been over-selling the mining boom and this week we’ve seen jobs and invest- ment lost from that industry.” ????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????????? Claims of scaremongering, harass- ment and dirty tricks are flying across the country in a stoush that has pitted small state union branches against their national office. The battle began when the National Union of Workers proposed that three state branches, including SA, be abolished. A ballot of all NUW members closes on March 23. NUW South Australia branch secretary Nick Thredgold said the national office had engaged in a “dirty tricks campaign” by telling members they should support the rule change to protect their jobs. Some members claim they have been phoned on weekends and evenings by national representatives asking how they will vote in the ballot. “South Australian members want local representation, not long-distance industrial advice from a call centre in Melbourne (where the national office is based),” Mr Thredgold (pictured) said. “Members are concerned that the NUW Melbourne call centre may one day end up the NUW Mumbai call centre.” NUW branches opposed to the rule change are running a concerted “Vote No” campaign, with a dedicated website called Hands Off Our Union. This has been countered bya “Vote Yes” campaign bytheir national office, which urges: “Don’t be tricked bythe lies”. The union has around 2500 members in South Australia. They range from people employed in warehouses and food manufacturing, to sales representatives, packers and pharma- ceuticals workers. Mr Thredgold said one of the main flaws in the plan for “centralisation” was that although the SA, Queensland and Western Australia branches would cease to exist, the Victorian and NSW ones would remain. “If they want efficiency, they should do it across the board,” he said, adding that it was also unfair that members in the branches unaffected by the rule change would get to vote in the ballot. SA Unions secretary Janet Giles agreed that the way the ballot was being conducted was undemocratic, and described the national NUW’s actions as “unprecedented”. Ms Giles said every other union in the state had local leadership, and although many of the branches were small, they were still viable and effective. “I am a great believer in state-based organisations…The members are closer to their leaders and can have more say in how the union is run and managed.” NUW national general secretary Charlie Donnelly said the change would make the union more efficient. He said smaller branches wereunable to negoti- ate enterprise agreements as effectively as those in Victoria and NSW. “The big national and multi- nationals have been taking a lend of us. We are a national union and we have to make sure we are strong in all the states.” He claimed the “Vote No” campaign was ‘full of lies’. “The branches have done everything in their power to stop members hearing anything other than their version of events,” he said. Don’t bank on the riverbank ?????????????? A State Government report has failed to identify the reason the River Murray bank collapsed at Long Island Marina near Murray Bridge. About 70m of riverbank fell into the river at the marina early in February, taking with it three cars and numerous gum trees. The Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation report says soil from the collapse was below water and could not be tested, so it couldn’t tell what caused the landslide. It found the remaining bank was too dangerous to approach for testing. Substantial landslides sent the riverbank into the Murray four times last month alone. On 7 February, a man had to jump to save his life when 50m of a private beach slid into the river atTailem Bend, submerg- ing willow trees and a boat. There was another landslip at Long Island Marina when a INDEX news HOME DELIVERY CALL 8224 1600 hear’say 2-4 6 business news shares/punter opinions & letters 7, 8, 10 resources ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 11,13 12 property happenings ??????????????????? ?????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? further 75m of riverbank fell into the water – as predicted by the DWLBC report. And a third happened at Willow Point near Jervois, when an entire jetty and boat ramp disappeared into the water, and a week later a landslide near Mypolonga left 30 31 14 media & marketing 32 professions spectrum thirst ??????????????????????????? www.independentweekly.com.au two pumping sheds hanging precariously over the water, meaning several irrigators had to go without water for days. State Opposition River Murray spokesperson Adrian Pederick said the landslides would continue until inflows to the Lower Murray returned, 33 34 35 eat and called on the State Government to audit public riverbanks and identify those at risk. Riverbank collapses were first reported along the Lower Murray two years ago,when water levels began falling to unprecedented lows. 36 galleries 37-39 arts 40-41 sport 42-44 TV 43 The Independent Weekly is a South Australian owned and operated newspaper, taking an independent view of local news, issues, business, sport and culture for all South Australians. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?Publisher: Paul Hamra ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: Ann Oliver ?????: Philip White ???????????: Tom Richardson and Don Riddell ??????: Harry Thring, hthring@independentweekly.com.au ?????????????: Kate Elmes ???????????? George Aldridge ???????????????????: Liz Smelt ??????????????????? Suzie Keen ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Andrew Bull, abull@independentweekly.com.au ??????: Karen Lowndes, Justin Edwards ????????????: Alison Todd, Helen Rogers, advertising@independentweekly.com.au ?????????????????????????????: Peter Jarrett, Alison Moylan, circulation@independentweekly.com.au